Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Sidi Bel Abbes

For one person, living is cheaper in Sidi Bel Abbes: $534 a month against $935 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Sidi Bel Abbes
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Sidi Bel Abbes Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$935

/mo nomad

Sidi Bel Abbes

🇩🇿 Algeria

$534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Sidi Bel Abbes

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Sidi Bel Abbes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $935 per month in Chiang Mai vs $534 in Sidi Bel Abbes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $935
Sidi Bel Abbes $534

A couple spends around $1,467 per month in Chiang Mai vs $883 in Sidi Bel Abbes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,467
Sidi Bel Abbes $883

A family of three spends $1,999 per month in Chiang Mai vs $1,231 in Sidi Bel Abbes, rent included.

Chiang Mai $1,999
Sidi Bel Abbes $1,231

Chiang Mai costs about 75% more than Sidi Bel Abbes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Chiang Mai and Sidi Bel Abbes are more affordable than the global median – Chiang Mai 31% lower, Sidi Bel Abbes 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.13 ฿72.0

$2.35 DZD 318

-9.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.62 ฿628

$20.66 DZD 2,794

-9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.60 ฿189

$3.84 DZD 519

45.83%

Cappuccino

$1.66 ฿56.1

$0.36 DZD 48.96

361.11%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ฿21.82

$0.60 DZD 81.0

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿10.29

$0.28 DZD 38.07

7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 ฿78.3

$1.66 DZD 225

39.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 ฿124

$2.95 DZD 399

24.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ฿68.0

$0.96 DZD 130

110.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.08 DZD 10.45

1662.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 ฿46.94

$1.01 DZD 137

37.62%

Eggs

$2.37 ฿79.9

$1.50 DZD 203

58.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.52 ฿557

$9.51 DZD 1,286

73.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ฿90.1

$5.95 DZD 804

-55.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.02 ฿304

$15.51 DZD 2,098

-41.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.9

$2.74 DZD 370

-12.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 ฿35.12

$2.28 DZD 308

-54.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.34 DZD 182

23.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.6

$0.47 DZD 63.7

231.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 ฿41.75

$0.35 DZD 47.87

254.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ฿36.65

$0.63 DZD 85.7

73.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 ฿25.70

$0.61 DZD 82.5

24.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.34

$0.33 DZD 44.51

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 ฿139

$1.84 DZD 249

123.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.93 ฿605

$10.00 DZD 1,353

79.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 ฿54.8

$2.14 DZD 289

-24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 ฿95.2

$0.88 DZD 119

220.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 ฿31.52

$0.17 DZD 22.61

447.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ฿1,784

$6.68 DZD 903

691.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 ฿39.69

$0.67 DZD 90.7

76.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ฿5.78

$0.33 DZD 44.94

-48.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ฿61.1

$2.25 DZD 305

-19.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.67

$0.30 DZD 40.01

390.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.0K ฿708.7K

$16.5K DZD 2.2M

27.73%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K ฿894.4K

$29.9K DZD 4.0M

-11.26%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$62.6 ฿2,110

$18.52 DZD 2,505

237.80%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.60 ฿391

$8.83 DZD 1,195

31.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.30 ฿685

$16.09 DZD 2,176

26.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.88 ฿1,278

$17.35 DZD 2,347

118.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.70 ฿125

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 ฿220

$1.51 DZD 204

331.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$727 ฿24.5K

$55.2 DZD 7,466

1217.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿559.0K

$3,239 DZD 438.0K

411.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ฿1,806

$32.52 DZD 4,399

64.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.80 ฿836

$54.9 DZD 7,424

-54.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 ฿3,049

$81.9 DZD 11.1K

10.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ฿2,428

$82.0 DZD 11.1K

-12.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 ฿16.2K

$146 DZD 19.8K

228.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 ฿10.5K

$93.9 DZD 12.7K

230.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 ฿35.7K

$269 DZD 36.4K

292.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ฿22.2K

$194 DZD 26.3K

239.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 ฿81.5K

$991 DZD 134.0K

144.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,609 ฿54.3K

$1,026 DZD 138.8K

56.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿20.1K

$345 DZD 46.7K

72.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.5

-14.31%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sidi Bel Abbes: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$310 33.1%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$94 17.6% 69.7% $216

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$237 25.3%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$202 37.7% 14.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$108 11.6%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$113 21.2% 4.4% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$43 8.1% 54% $51

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$77 8.2%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$52 9.8% 31.6% $24

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$59 6.3%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$9.7 1.8% 83.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.4%

Sidi Bel Abbes

$20 3.8% 60% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $481 in Chiang Mai versus $146 in Sidi Bel Abbes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 72% higher in Chiang Mai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Chiang Mai versus $21 in Sidi Bel Abbes. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Chiang Mai vs $202 in Sidi Bel Abbes – so Sidi Bel Abbes wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇩🇿 Sidi Bel Abbes

🕒 Local time

07:35 7:35 AM

01:35 1:35 AM

6 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

212,935

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.39 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.39 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chiang Mai Sidi Bel Abbes 9,650 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Sidi Bel Abbes

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chiang Mai vs Sidi Bel Abbes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiang Mai costs about 75% more than Sidi Bel Abbes, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,403 per month in Chiang Mai and $802 in Sidi Bel Abbes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sidi Bel Abbes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $146 there versus $481 in Chiang Mai.

Kindergarten costs $727 per month in Chiang Mai and $55 in Sidi Bel Abbes. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Chiang Mai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $935 in Chiang Mai and $534 in Sidi Bel Abbes, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Sidi Bel Abbes – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Sidi Bel Abbes. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chiang Mai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.